SpaceX crew's arrival on ISS takes an unexpected turn as NASA ‘alien’ greets them
ByBhavika Rathore
Mar 17, 2025 01:20 AM IST
Astronaut Nick Hague greets Crew-9 with an alien mask, sparking social media reactions.
The latest SpaceX crew to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday morning was met with a unique welcome — a blend of both human and extraterrestrial faces. As the spacecraft approached the ISS, Crew-9 commander Nick Hague humorously greeted his fellow astronauts by donning a grey alien mask, setting a lighthearted tone for the mission. His crew eagerly awaited the arrival of astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
Astronaut Nick Hague entertains viewers with an alien mask during ISS docking.(screenshot @TonyQuinnTQ/X)
Astronaut Nick Hague entertains viewers with an alien mask during ISS docking.(screenshot @TonyQuinnTQ/X)
Also Read: Man set on fire near Times Square; NYPD launches manhunt for suspect
SpaceX crew gets a warm welcome by NASA ‘aliens’
While the others were busy helping the crew deboard from the capsule, Hague was spotted roaming around and occasionally stopping by in his alien mask and a black hoodie to point at something out of the camera coverage during the live streaming. SpaceX successfully launched Crew Dragon 10 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, sending a new team to the International Space Station to relieve Crew-9.
The incoming crew will take over the duties aboard the station. Crew-9 members—Nick Hague, Sunita "Suni" Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Aleksandr Gorbunov—are set to undock from the ISS and return to Earth as early as Wednesday, as reported by The New York Post.
Astronauts Williams and Wilmore have been stranded aboard the ISS since June 2024, after a series of technical issues with their Boeing Starliner delayed their return. Originally scheduled to return just eight days after their arrival, their departure was further pushed back when a backup plan to bring them home after Hague and Gorbunov's arrival in September fell through, due to a shortage of available emergency pods for the remaining crew.
Also Read: Las Vegas: Police respond to reports of shooting at Circus Circus Hotel near Adventuredome
Netizens react to Hague’s antics
Hague's antics did not go unnoticed by the netizens as one user on X wrote, “The dude with the alien mask though.” A second user wrote, “What’s with the guy in the alien mask? Is no one else seeing that? Did I miss something here ?” A third user wrote, “So nobody noticed the Alien in the room?!”
Another user wrote, “Umm did anyone notice this? What has NASA been hiding from us?” while one wrote, “Why is no one commenting about the Alien who was caught on camera?”
rec-icon Recommended Topics
Share this article
International Space Station
Spacex
Las Vegas
Nasa
Read breaking news, latest updates from United States on topics related to politics, crime, along with national affairs. Stay up to date with news developments on Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
See More
Read breaking news, latest updates from United States on topics related to politics, crime, along with national affairs. Stay up to date with news developments on Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.